Mathis was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
Mathis was designated for assignment by Atlanta on Wednesday, and he'll remain in the organization after he went unclaimed on waivers. Mathis went hitless with five strikeouts in nine at-bats during his time in the majors this year.
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Braves' Jeff Mathis: Designated for assignment
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Mathis was designated for assignment by Atlanta on Wednesday.
Mathis' contract was selected at the beginning of May, and he went 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in three games. Catcher Kevan Smith was acquired from the Rays in a corresponding move and should fill Mathis' depth role going forward.
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Braves' Jeff Mathis: Contract selected by Atlanta
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Mathis had his contract selected by Atlanta on Sunday.
The 38-year-old joined the club on a minor-league deal in late March after being let go by the Phillies, and he'll now receive an opportunity in the majors. Mathis should split time behind the plate with William Contreras after Travis d'Arnaud (thumb) and Alex Jackson (hamstring) landed on the injured list.
Mathis agreed Tuesday with Atlanta on a minor-league contract, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Mathis is expected to head to Atlanta's alternate training site to begin the season, waiting on standby in the event the two catchers on the 26-man active roster -- Travis d'Arnaud and Alex Jackson -- are forced to miss time at any point. The 16-year MLB veteran has never made much of an impact with the bat, but he's carved out a long career thanks to his skills as a receiver and game caller.
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Jeff Mathis: Released by Philadelphia
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Mathis was released by the Phillies on Wednesday, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Mathis was attempting to secure a backup catcher role during spring training with J.T. Realmuto (thumb) sidelined, but his release suggests Realmuto could be ready to go in time for Opening Day. Mathis appeared in 10 Grapefruit League games this spring and hit .207 with a home run, one double, two RBI and 14 strikeouts over 29 at-bats.
Mathis could make the Phillies' roster if J.T. Realmuto (thumb) is forced to miss extended regular season action, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The Phillies are hopeful that Realmuto will not miss many -- if any -- regular season games, though his exact timeline remains unclear. His absence would likely leave Andrew Knapp as the starter, but would give Mathis the chance to earn a roster spot as the primary backup. Mathis signed a minor-league deal with the club on Feb. 16 and is a career .194/.253/.300 hitter.
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Phillies' Jeff Mathis: Joins Phillies on minor-league deal
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Mathis signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies on Tuesday which will pay him $1.8 million if he earns a big-league job, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Mathis' path to a roster spot would involve him beating out Andrew Knapp for the backup catcher job, unless the Phillies for some reason decide the heavily-used J.T. Realmuto requires two backstops behind him on the depth chart. Mathis has a strong reputation as someone who can call a game and manage a pitching staff, but he offers next to nothing at the plate, hitting .194/.253/.300 over the course of his 16-year big-league career. Not even hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park is likely to salvage that kind of bat should Mathis wind up with unexpected playing time.
Mathis went 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored Saturday in the Rangers' 6-1 win over the Astros.
Mathis took Brandon Bielak deep to left in the seventh on a full-count fastball to put the Rangers back in front 4-1. The 37-year-old backstop is hitting .161/.221/.355 with three home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored in 24 games this season.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Resting again Wednesday
Rotowire
Mathis remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.
Mathis sits for the second day in a row while Sam Huff picks up another turn behind plate. The two catchers will likely continue to split work over the weekend, when the Rangers conclude their season with a four-game series versus Houston.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Takes seat Tuesday
Rotowire
Mathis isn't in Tuesday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.
Mathis will take a seat once again after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout Monday. Sam Huff will take over behind the plate Tuesday.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Not starting Sunday
Rotowire
Mathis is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels.
Mathis will continue splitting time with Sam Huff behind the plate, with Huff receiving the start Sunday. Mathis has a .160/.232/.320 slash line through 21 games this season.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Splitting time with Huff
Rotowire
Mathis will start at catcher and will bat ninth Wednesday against the Astros.
Mathis has served as a clear backup catcher with Texas for most of the season, but the deadline-day deal that sent Robinson Chirinos to the Mets coupled with Jose Trevino's (wrist) move to the injured list has allowed the veteran backstop to rise up the depth chart. He'll be getting his fourth start in seven games, as he and youngster Sam Huff have been alternating turns behind the plate. A career .195 hitter with limited pop, Mathis shouldn't be on the fantasy radar, even in most AL-only leagues.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Knocks homer in loss
Rotowire
Mathis went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Mariners.
Mathis took Mariners reliever Dan Altavilla deep in the eighth inning to help the Rangers avoid the shutout. The 37-year-old Mathis is hitting .200/.310/.400 with just the one homer, three RBI and four runs scored across 29 plate appearances this year. He seems to be getting the short end of a timeshare with Jose Trevino while Robinson Chirinos (ankle) is unavailable.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Takes seat Friday
Rotowire
Mathis isn't in the lineup Friday against the Mariners.
Mathis will remain on the bench for the fourth time in the past five games as he may not be the favorite for playing time behind the dish. Jose Trevino will start at catcher Friday and appears to have the slight edge for playing time while Robinson Chirinos (ankle) remains sidelined.
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Rangers' Jeff Mathis: Remains on bench Thursday
Rotowire
Mathis isn't starting Thursday against the Padres.
Mathis has gone hitless in his last six at-bats, and he'll take a seat once again Thursday. Jose Trevino will handle the catching duties again against the Padres.
